What Does a Corporate Fitness Program Involve?

Employers are jumping on the bandwagon that says good employee health means good employee performance. One of the facets of good employee health is having a good exercise program. To that end, many employers are now actually endorsing corporate fitness programs as a means to both drive down health care costs and improve employee health overall.

Simply put, employers have realized that when employees are fit and healthy in both mind and body, they can better deal with stress and perform better at work, too. If an employees job is mostly physical in nature, of course fitness must also be of central concern to keep an employee healthy and on the job, uninjured.

Sick and out of shape?

If employees are sick or out of shape, they are more susceptible to injury, and they need more sick days. By contrast, if fitness programs are incorporated as part of a workday regime, workers are more productive, and less likely to take sick days or be absent because of injury or illness. Finally, this is also of benefit to employers not just in productivity (which of course increases their profits); it also literally drives down costs, because health costs drop when employees are fit.

To that end, many employees now incorporate corporate fitness programs to make their employees healthier and yes, happier. How do they do this?

First, employees’ fitness levels are assessed and evaluated through surveys given by the company. Then, fitness programs are designed for each employee. Some companies have opted to construct in-house fitness centers or gyms, so that employees can easily access these services during lunch breaks and so on. Others have opted to give employees corporate memberships at nearby fitness clubs so that it’s easy to go work out during lunch, on the way to or on the way home from work.

Group exercises can be fun, too

In some cases, employers have also set up classes for employees who work out together, such as aerobic exercise classes or spinning classes, for example. In some cases, classes for pregnant women are also included. Families, too, can sometimes be included in the corporate fitness program so that health care is all encompassing, not just related to the employee him- or herself.

Diet matters, too

Because employees, too, are increasingly overweight (along with the rest of the country), nutritional plans to are often designed for employees so that they can lose weight more easily if they need to.